"The key point is that it allows us to be able to say to the folks who receive these notices, look, you know, I, the president of the United States, and the insurance -- the insurance model of the Affordable Care Act -- is not going to be getting in the way of you shopping in the individual market that you used to have," he said.

Either he is a compulsive liar, or has no flipping idea what he is talking about. The ACA does nothing BUT limit choices in the individual market by design, as crafted by the lobbyists from the healthcare and insurance industries. How can people fall for this?!?!?!?!?!

"The key point is that it allows us to be able to say to the folks who receive these notices, look, you know, I, the president of the United States, and the insurance -- the insurance model of the Affordable Care Act -- is not going to be getting in the way of you shopping in the individual market that you used to have," he said.

Either he is a compulsive liar, or has no flipping idea what he is talking about. The ACA does nothing BUT limit choices in the individual market by design, as crafted by the lobbyists from the healthcare and insurance industries. How can people fall for this?!?!?!?!?!

Do you think he has even read the bill yet?

Just think how up our country is that the President's signature piece of legislation was not even read by him or anyone else before it was imposed on society as federal law.

He is a figurehead in every sense of the word. I don't expect the guy to write the legislation, but to be so totally clueless. He probably should have personally invested 100's of hours in the details of what is in the bill and what it will do. It was his signature piece of legislation and to be so totally disinterested in the details is unbelievably dysfunctional.

dudejcb wrote:I think the office of the President has some powers to utilize if warranted. May take an Executive Order rather than just a press release however.

But those powers do not allow him to either: 1. dictated to private companies what they would do; or 2. change the law which was passed.

He is obligated to EXECUTE the laws. He may issue orders related to the execution of the law. He may not exceed the limits of the law.

The law says you cannot sell crack (pick any law). The President issues an executive order saying that you can for one year. Is that a defense in court? No. Congress passed the law. The President does not hold a trump card. The Courts are obligated to live by the law and not subject to the orders of the President. The President can choose how to enforce the laws and how resources are distributed. He cannot change the law. You are still a criminal for violating the law even if the President is not enforcing that law.

What Ford did with pardoning before conviction is also breaking the law. He can pardon them after they are convicted for violating the ACA. He cannot issue a pardon before they are convicted and sentenced. Unless you believe the President is a dictator and holds the trump cards over the Courts and Congress. Co-equal or dictator. We have been moving toward dictator for a long time. This is another big bold and dangerous step toward the authoritarian presidents. But before you go down the two wrongs make a right argument, it is not the first and not the worst. Just the latest.

A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman of the next generation. A politician looks for the success of his party; a statesman for that of the country. The statesman wished to steer, while the politician was satisfied to drift.